Deck the Halls
by rupin
Summary: A challenge to write one holiday or winter themed one-shot or drabble for every one of the 12 days before Christmas Eve. Next drabble: GillxAkari COMPLETE
1. Luke and Akari: Surprise

I am challenging myself to write a separate pairing a day every day until Christmas. Each one will be a one-shot and will usually be unrelated to the others (although they will occasionally be connected, as in sequels or double sided stories). I have the first five couples planned out (and some are crack) so I am accepting pairings, but get them in quick! The pairings can be anything – yaoi, yuri, het, - but if I don't write yours, please don't be offended! Please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon. But it is definitely on my wish list! Haha.

…

"What is it?" Luke moaned from the top of the staircase.

"You're going to have to wait in order to find out." Akari called out from the kitchen, a smirk dancing across her lips.

"This is so not fair! I shouldn't be put through this kind of torture!' Luke groaned as he dragged his feet down the steps, "I mean, what did I do to deserve this kind of punishment?"

"You did nothing. Nothing at all." Akari responded emotionlessly.

"Then why aren't you telling me?"

"To get you in the Christmas spirit!" She yelled merrily due to a sudden mood swing, turning away from the dishes in order to place a Santa Hat atop his head, "Now, stop complaining and wait like a good boy!"

"But this is not cool! I told you what I got you!"

"You did, but that's just because you can't keep a secret. Don't you worry yourself, you only have to get through tonight without knowing. It will be Christmas Eve tomorrow, and you can open it then!"

"Fine then, but if I can't sleep tonight, it's all your fault…" He pouted, crossing his arms across his chest.

According to his predictions, Luke couldn't sleep that night. The very thought of the box under the tree beckoning to him, its contents a mystery, drove him insane, eventually to the point where he couldn't bear it anymore.

He had to know.

He needed to know.

So, slowly but carefully (very unlike his nature – quick and care_lessly_), he crawled out from under the covers, as to not awake his wife, and snapped up a flashlight. In order to not run the risk of tripping and falling (which he was almost certain would happen if he walked), the blue-haired man quietly collapsed down onto his hands and knees and crawled out of the room.

"Why, hey there Puppy!" A floppy-eared dog appropriately named Puppy trotted up to her owner, before cocking her head to the side as if saying, 'What are you up to now?'

"I'm going to go see what Akari got me for Christmas. Want to help?" A low yelp was emitted, which the carpenter thought meant yes, so he squirmed up to the top of the stairs with her, the small flashlight guiding the way, "Now, Puppy, we have to be very stealth about this. I bet she's baited it. I bet there's booby traps. I can assure you that there are decoys hanging around – false presents, empty boxes filled with broken dreams. The horrors! So, we must sniff out the real box. Are you up to the challenge?"

The caramel-colored animal nodded its tiny head, and Luke was all ready, "Well, then, let's begin. The first obstacle we must overcome is the staircase. It will be absolutely nothing comp-" However, before the sentence was even finished, Luke had somehow managed to trip _while _crawling, propelling himself face-first down the flight, nobody but a dog to stop him, who did absolutely nothing but stare at him blankly. The racket most definitely woke up the neighbors, along with a certain brown-haired farmer.

"All this for one gift?"

He grinned sheepishly.

…

That evening, as the clock stroke midnight and all the young villagers piled into their house, a badly injured Luke looked up expectantly at his wife.

"You can open it now, Luke." Akari replied, handing him a delicately wrapped box, which was no bigger than a bottle of soda. It wasn't exactly a successful trial, for Luke couldn't unwrap a present with only one arm – the other was fractured after the stair incident – so, the brown-eyed girl removed the ribbon and paper, the lid only partially on so he could open it with only one arm.

"Yay!" He shouted, and almost clapped, before remembering his other arm was in a sling, and graciously accepted the small cube, flicking off the top.

"How do you like it?"

Inside lay a small blue shoe, made for a baby. The bandana-wearing man took it out and inspected it, unsure what to think.

"Merry Christmas, soon-to-be-daddy."

…

What do you think? Please review – and say any pairings that you'd like me to write!

Only twelve days 'til Christmas!


	2. Claire and Gray: Frosting

On day two, the pairing will be ClairexGray! I got a request for this pairing from 'The BEATS', so, here it is!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.

…

"What are you doing?" Gray walked into the kitchen, horrified to find the smell of gingerbread surrounding him, four large bowls of frosting scattered across the counter, and his girlfriend singing a Christmas tune.

"Hi Gray!" She squealed, before running up to him and encasing him in a vanilla-scented hug, "What are you doing visiting the farm on a day like today?"

"I came to see my girlfriend. May I ask you once again, what are you doing, and why are you hugging me?" Gray had yet to submit himself to the hug, and looked utterly confused by the whole spectacle.

"I'm making a gingerbread house, and I'm hugging you because I love you!" She giggled, returning to her colorful kitchen, "C'mon, Gray-chan, help me!"

"I'd rather not." He had taken off his hat to shake off a few snowflakes, though he quickly replaced it and began to make his way to the door, "I'll see you tomorrow, Claire. Hap-"

"Gray!" whined Claire, who had latched onto his arm, pouting, "Don't leave! Please, stay with me!"

Poor boy, he could never resist Claire's pout. It was his Achilles heel, the only thing that could warm his colder-than-Winter demeanor. And today was no exception.

"…Fine." He groaned, dragging his feet back into the warm house, much to the delight of the young farmer. She bounced forward to her kitchen, clapping her hands happily and grinning ridiculously.

"Now," Claire had positioned herself in front of the miniature mansion made of cookie, ready to instruct her cooking-challenged boyfriend, "Pick up the bag of icing, and pipe it alongside the corners, so it looks pretty! It's not hard at all, trust me!"

Silently, Gray followed the blonde's instructions, creating a nice edge alongside the house. For a few minutes, it seemed as though everything was going well…until a certain caramel colored animal came home. The couple was loading the confection with various candies, the cap-wearing one ready to frost the roof, when Claire's dog compulsively burst through the doors to the house, covered in snow and full of energy. He darted across the floors, weaved through Gray's legs, and tackled his owner, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

Now, let me just remind you that Gray is not very well-balanced. This fact makes Gray falling because of the puppy's ability to trip him by simply running by him seem slightly more realistic. So, yeah, he fell. And, out of sheer shock, he squeezed the tube he was holding in his hand, sending a trail of white icing up into the air, and grabbed Claire's shoulder, because if he's going down, she's coming too. They screamed, the dog barked, and the frosting soared over them, but suddenly gravity came back into effect and they all came hurtling downward.

"Ugh." Rubbing his skull after colliding with the ground, Gray rose off the floor and supported his upper body with his forearms, all while Claire laughed uncontrollably.

"What's so funny?!" He yelled.

"You have a bit of frosting on your face!" Pointing at his defined features, she extended her finger, wiped off a little bit, and licked it off her nail, smiling at its sweetness.

"Ok, good, it's all gone now. I guess I should help you clean up this mess." He began to shift up onto his feet, but Claire pulled him down.

"Wait," She murmured, leaning forward so her nose could just barely touched his, "You have a little more right here," She brushed his cheek before kissing him. "That's a lot better."

"Yea." He blushed, pulling his cap down to cover his eyes, "It definitely is. Any more frosting left on my face?"

"Just a little bit." She giggled again, and they slowly kissed once more.

…

That was drabble number 2. All fluff, but that's not a bad thing, now is it? Please review, and tell me any pairings you'd like me to write! 


	3. Gray and Mary: Wrapping Paper

Wow, I posted the last chapter before I got to read all the wonderful reviews I got, and I can't help but feel bad for not putting a thank you in the last ficlet for you guys being so nice. So here it is: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING!!! You guys make my day :D And I'm going to write all of your pairing requests. And I was going to write a GrayxMary one-shot at first, but then Authors Note1 requested it, so I made sure I released it sooner. So this is dedicated to you, Authors Note1!

Disclaimer: I STILL don't own Harvest Moon. How sad!

…

It was a quiet night, on the verge of silence. Actually, it would be silent if it wasn't for the howling wind outside, but boy, that wind was loud.

Mary, the librarian who was just as quiet as that night, was snuggled up behind her desk, a good book clasped between her fingers. This was her idea of the perfect night – hot cocoa, a snowstorm, and a novel, all within the confines of her empty library.

And the library was empty. This night could not be better. Not that she hated people or anything, but she just preferred the quiet to the buzz of persons.

She flipped the page, her eyes scanning over every word. The wind made another violent screech, sending snowflakes flying into her window, colliding with the glass to create a somewhat beautiful painting. However, the snow was causing cold air to seep through the panes, so she stood up in order to close the curtains.

But, just as she began to close the shades, a shadowy figure passed by, sending the black-haired girl's thoughts into a frenzy.

_Who could it be? Is it a murderer, here to kill the sweet librarian? Or perhaps it is a traveler who has lost their way? Even better, it's Gray, here to profess his love to me?_

As a writer, Mary visualized several situations, the last one being her favorite by far. The very thought of that happening caused her to blush!

Good thing for her, it just so happened that her fantasy was becoming partially true. Storming through the door was none other than colder-than-snow Gray, the cap-wearing blacksmith that never failed to make her heart flutter.

"Er, h-hello Gray." She stuttered out.

"Unnh." He replied, before stomping his way to a table and sitting down, and the glasses-wearing gal was not sure what to make of what he said. Was that even a response?

"W-what are you, um, d-doing here? I-I mean, it's, uh, o-obvious t-that you are looking for some b-books, b-b-but it's Ch-Chri-Christmas Eve and all, and i-its sn-snowing out, a-and-" Mary couldn't help her stuttering, it was one of her bad habits that just so happened to be initiated whenever someone was around – to be specific, that blacksmith.

"Ugh."

"W-what?"

"I said I wasn't looking for some books." He mumbled, his voice gruff and clipped, as usual.

"T-then w-w-w-what are you d-doing at-at-at a library?" Poor Mary, she couldn't even hide the fact that she liked Gray. Her cheeks were flushed such a deep red that she was giving the tomato a run for its money, and her stutter was deepening by the second.

"I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas." With that, he slid a tiny gift on to the counter, before storming out and slamming the door behind him.

She smiled, her blush not fading, and picked up the small present. She wouldn't even bother to open it; it was truly the thought that counted in this instant.

Because it was Gray. And it didn't matter that the box was wrapped in newspaper. It still counted, for he wrapped it with his own two hands, and decided to give it to her.

…

And that was chapter 3! Thanks again for all the great reviews, and keep your pairing requests coming in! I still have seven open days, and I don't know what I'll write about, so just review or PM me with a pairing!

Up next is Vaughn x Chelsea!


	4. Vaughn and Chelsea: Conversations

Here is number four! It's VaughnxChelsea, and although I have never played IoH, I still love this pairing! But please, bear with me through any OOC-ness, I don't really understand the characters :( And thanks for all of the reviews! And thanks to anybody who's just plain old reading this story! Also, this chapter is dedicated to kittykyo5467, who showed me this awesome pairing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon. Really?

…

Chelsea grinned stupidly as she skipped through the town. She didn't mind how idiotic she may have appeared, for she was too happy to let those thoughts worry her. Today was the day that the villagers that had moved in were throwing a holiday party, and the very thought of it made her giddy with excitement, causing a quickening in her step.

Finally, after what felt like far too long, she arrived at the beach. Streamers were strung everywhere, in just about every color of the rainbow, Christmas trees and Hanukkah menorahs used as decorations, and lanterns that gave off a good deal of light were hung up. Everyone was laughing and chatting, giving off the positive glow of friendship. Ah, yes, this is what Chelsea had been waiting for.

Denny walked up to her, smiling, Kuu, as always, perched atop his shoulder, "Hey Chelsea! How's it going?"

"Awesome!" replied the farmer joyously, "I'm so happy everyone came!"

"Well, almost everybody…" Denny's voice trailed off.

"Who didn't come? I mean – who wouldn't want to come?" She grabbed him by the collar, "Who? Tell me!"

"Guess."

"Err…" She tapped her chin as she thought, until a light bulb went off and it became so dreadfully obvious. There was only one man in this village that wouldn't bother to come, "Vaughn!"

"Right."

"But why? It's a Wednesday, so he should be here!"

"Yea, and he is. He just didn't feel like coming."

"So…that means…he's a jerk?" Carefully planning out her words caused awkward pauses in what she had said, but Chelsea's voice still held the same amount of impact – or lack thereof.

"Kind of." The fisherman shrugged, "I bet you could go out and find him."

"Really?"

"Yea, I saw him over on the other side of the beach."

"I'm going to go find that boy! Don't forget it! I'll be back and he's coming with me!" Pumping her fist into the air, she stormed off, her steps proud and her head held high, ready to teach that guy who's boss.

_That extremely __**hot**__ guy. _Her thoughts reminded her of his silver hair and cool eyes…

No! She couldn't let her thoughts wander like that. That's not right! He's Vaughn, the antisocial visitor that always manages to be mean to her!

_But that hat is sexy…_

Now that's just plain wrong, her conscious reminded her…er,_ other_ conscious. Sort of. She doesn't know why her brain argues with her brain, but it happens occasionally.

Trying to walk off thoughts of the animal trader, Chelsea stomped her feet into the ground and desperately distracted herself with the surrounding areas.

_Why, that's a pretty tree, now isn't it, Chelsea? _Good conscious asked.

"Yea, it is."

_Oh, and that flower is pretty as well._

"Yea, I think I might grow some of those on my farm, they're so pretty!"

"…Why are you talking to yourself?"

"Hmm?" Chelsea, so caught up in her own conversations with herself, walked straight into the guy she had been desperately trying to forget.

"Pay attention." He replied flatly, his eyes gazing out at the ocean.

"What do you mean?"

"You were talking to yourself and not paying attention, so you walked into me."

"So?"

"I'm just saying that you should stop talking to yourself and pay attention so you don't walk into me."

"I'm confused."

"Well, that's not my issue."

"Ugh!" She groaned, her temper flaring, "Now, Mister I'm-so-perfect-that-I-don't-talk-to-myself, why aren't you at the holiday party?"

"I didn't feel like coming."

"But every resident of this island is there." She retorted, like it was so dreadfully obvious – which it was, at least to her.

"I don't live on this island."

"Well, yea, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go! You're here, you're visiting, and you're as good as a member of this island, so you better go."

"I'd rather not." His tone remained monotonous, uncaring and unemotional, but the darkness hid what his expression could be. It made Chelsea wonder…

"You. Are. Coming." The bandana clad girl stated, latching onto his arm and beginning to drag him.

"Hey-! Let go of me!"

"I told you that you were coming, even if I have to drag you there!"

"I'm stronger than you!" He untangled from her grasp, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks. Of course, he was Vaughn, and he refused to let the color of his face change simply because a girl grabbed onto his arm and attempted to pull him to a festival.

"Come to the party! It's not the same without you there!"

"I don't see a difference."

"But I _do."_ Chelsea pleaded, her eyes wide, "Please, Vaughn, just this once. Do this for me."

"…Fine." He moaned, and she smiled once more, pulling him by his wrist down to the party, laughing the whole way.

And it didn't matter if he didn't want to come; she made it worth it.

…

I hope this came out ok. I really don't know where I was going with this one, but I think it came out decent, right? (: …I haven't played IoH, so there may be personality screw-ups, but I hope it was fine otherwise. Please review (and pairing requests are still being accepted!)


	5. Doctor and Gray: Angel

I'm back with drabble 5! Yaay ~! This is a DoctorxGray one-shot that was requested to me by mandapanda84, so yea, this is for mandapanda84! And thanks for all the awesome reviews, again!

Disclaimer: Still don't own Harvest Moon.

…

The doctor of Mineral Town sighed from behind his desk. Another Winter had come – and couldn't pass quickly enough – which means he was stuck with an overflow of patients that had everything from a small cold to pneumonia, causing a mountain of paperwork that dwarfs Everest to occupy his desk.

The air was chilly outside, but the sky was clear, the sun setting over the horizon. It was, in fact, quite a nice night. The black-haired man would have enjoyed a walk at that moment, but no such luck would befall him. He just had to brave the hand cramps and keep signing his name.

Elli approached him, her timid nature causing her to jump when he turned his head, "What do you want, Elli?"

"Doctor, well, do you need any help?"

"I'm fine. You should go home to be with Stu and your grandmother. They need you."

"Oh, I can't leave you here by yourself to deal with all that paperwork."

"It's nothing." He responded, making a waving motion with his hand, "You have a family to return to. Go spend Christmas with them."

"If you say so." replied the girl as she reached for her coat and headed out the door, but before she had completely left, stuck her head back inside with a small smile gracing her face, "Merry Christmas."

"Ay, same to you."

The Doctor buried his nose into some paper that concerned an 'illness' that had 'infected' Jeff. He felt kind of bad thinking about that poor man with such sarcasm, but he couldn't help but consider how that guy had a new health issue every Sunday and Tuesday.

"Oi…" He mumbled, a sudden strain affecting his hand, and reached out for a painkiller and his glass of eggnog. Well, of course, he didn't remember that eggnog being where his water once was. It must have been Elli's doing.

Actually, the entire clinic was decorated by Elli – as he knew he wouldn't have bothered otherwise. As the lights from the sparkling tree put him in a trance that suddenly induced a tired feeling within him, he glanced from the door to his desk, not wanting to return to that latter. All he had to do was go and lock that door…he'd be free then…

Ah, what the heck? Slowly the Doctor inched his way to the door, laid his fingers across the lock, and began to snap in shut.

But, ah, he could not do it quickly enough. Out of nowhere, a messy cap-wearing blur swung open the door, which luckily missed the Doctor's face by merely an inch, letting said blur enter.

"Ah, Gray, what are you doing here?" He asked, polite as possible, despite the fact that he desperately wanted the Blacksmith's grandson to leave so he could go upstairs and hopefully fall asleep.

"I came to pick up my pops medicine."

"I'll go get that then." The more matured one turned to the counter, but a hand caught him by the shoulder.

"No, it's not just that."

"Then what is it?" The black-haired man snapped, getting irritated.

"Could you please let me stay here?"

"And why would that be?"

"It's Christmas, and Saibara's having some party, and hate being around that many people. Just let me stay here 'til it's over."

A quick groan was issued before the Doctor finally agreed, "If you like, you may stay here. I'll go get Saibara's medicine in the meantime." Gray obliged, sitting down on the couch while wiggling out of his jacket.

The Doctor, on the other hand, returned with a small white bag filled with various containers, but was shocked to see what he found. He picked up the sopping wet jacket, almost disgusted by it, "Why is this wet?"

"Er, well, about that…"

"If your jacket is this wet, your clothes must be soaked, and you might have contracted something because of that."

"It's not that big of a deal…" Gray trailed off, only to have his sentence interrupted by a sneeze.

"You are sick. Ugh…hold this." The Doctor handed him the bag full of medicine, before retreating back to his dreaded desk and scavenging through drawers in order to find exactly what he was looking for.

"I'm not sick. I'll be...be…be…" Another sneeze caught him mid-phrase.

"Take these." The Doctor handed the emotional one two pills.

"What are they?"

"Just take them. And then go lay down." The Doctor ordered, and Gray complied, but, before completely drifting off, he mumbled a quick response, "Thanks, Doc."

"It's my job."

Later that night, when the sun was far set and everyone was safe in their homes, the Doctor crept out of his own bed and wandered down the stairs, over to Gray, who was out like a light.

And he couldn't help but consider his resemblance to an angel.

…

I hope this turned out ok…I was really busy today and I didn't have as much time to edit it, so it might not be as good as the others. And the DoctorxGray hints are there if you squint :D So, please review and tell me what you think of this, and I still am accepting pairing requests.


	6. Jill and Griffin: Never Alone

Gah~! Here's day six! I got a request to write JillxGriffin from poesumo, so here it is! Sorry if this makes absolutely no sense, but I was really busy today and now I'm tired to no end, but I couldn't help but try! Also, I'll be sorry for any OOC-ness right now, I never played DS Cute and it's been far too long since I played AWL or regular DS, so…yea…And thanks so much for the reviews!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon.

…

Griffin calmly cleaned a glass from behind the counter at his bar. Everything around him was just as he – calm, not moving, simply there. He gently rested the glass back on the shelf, and, noticing that the bar was empty, pulled out his guitar, starting to play, which made the air seem even more relaxed than before.

Of course, the atmosphere was disturbed when a certain villager stormed in, slamming the door behind her, and plopped down on the seat with as little grace as she could muster. She slumped over, exhausted, but managed to bark out "Stone oil! Now!" loud and clear.

"Hello Jill." Griffin complied with her orders, mixing up the strongest drink that could be legally sold in Forget-Me-Not Valley, "What brings you here on a night like this?"

"It's Christmas Eve."

"I know."

"It's Christmas Eve in a town that I just moved into, and I don't know what to do! I don't have anybody to spend it with! My sister is off being my sister somewhere, my mom is off with her new husband, my dad's dead, and I don't know anybody here!"

"I'm sorry to here that." He slid the liquid across the counter, the farmer catching the glass easily in her palm before downing it all in one gulp.

"I mean, seriously, I don't have anybody! Nobody, they're all away, and I'm here all alone! Do you understand how bad that feels?" She answered, the alcohol definitely affecting her system, which resulted in her getting more and more worked up as each word was uttered.

"Yes, I do."

"What do you mean? How could you?"

"I have no family here, only Muffy. And I don't know where she is, but I believe she's visiting somewhere in a far off town. I am alone as well, Jill." He was not irritated like the girl, talking quietly as he put all of the ingredients in their rightful spots.

"Oh…I'm sorry." She slumped over even further, embarrassed to no end. She had just ranted to the only person that would listen, and accidentally offended them in the process.

"It's ok. I run a bar, the people here are my family."

"Huh?"

"It's nothing, Jill. All I'm saying is, if you don't want to feel alone, my doors are always open, the alcohol is always ready to serve, and I'm always willing to listen."

"Really?"

"Sure." He shrugged, like it was no big deal.

"Cool!" She squealed a bit, happy at the thought of not being without anybody, "What do you wish to do?"

"It is your choice."

"We should…we should…ah!" Thinking, Jill tapped her chin with her finger before an idea came to her, "We should have a party! We should invite everyone else that is alone here and become our own little makeshift family!"

"That's sounds quite pleasant."

"Yea…we'll get Nami here, even though I'm pretty sure she won't want to, but she'll come in the end, Rock will drag her along if that happens. Yea, he seems to like parties, so he should come even if his parents live here. And Gustafa, it's obvious he wouldn't mind, Cody, too, we shouldn't leave him out, and Lumina, even though she has Romana, I'm sure she'd like to visit…Ay! This will be so much fun, Griffin! I can't thank you enough!" She bounced up and down with excitement, the thought of meeting new people and getting to know them made her happy.

"It's no problem."

"No, seriously, thanks for being there for me! Now, I'm going to go get everyone – you stay here! Wait for me, I'll be back soon!" With that, Jill dissolved back outside, a smile now gracing her face. Griffin smiled too, he loved that girl. She somehow managed to turn everything into a group effort. I mean, she didn't even know that many people here, but she still tried to make sure everyone had somebody to be with that night, to remind them that their not alone.

He pulled out his guitar again, softly mumbling under his breath, "This one's for you, Jill…"

...

Did that make _any_ sense? Sorry if it didn't, and I'm also sorry for making Griffin so Gustafa-like. I really need to play AWL or DS or something again…oh well. I'm really tired right now, so all I can say is please review and tell me any pairing requests ( I have 2 spots left!)


	7. Chase and Akari: Help

Gah~! I'm still super tired. I just thought I'd say that. I got two requests to write an AkarixChase drabble, so here it is!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon.

…

The warmth of Waffle Town spread all the way across the island, pushing through cold fogs, winding past bitter trees, and defrosting frozen puddles. In the Caramel River district, the young farmer could feel the happiness and cheeriness.

She could not bring herself to stay inside and rest up like she should; she had to go into the village and see people. It was her nature, and no amount of weather could stop her. Besides, it was Christmas Eve, and what fun was it to be all by yourself?

So she bundled up – hat, scarf, coat, the whole nine yards – and trudged through the snow and to the inn. And there was no doubt that she felt a good deal better after she arrived.

The establishment was bustling with people, the smell of foods wafting through the air. As soon as she pushed the door open, everyone turned and shouted "Hey, Akari!" They mobbed her with hugs, wishes of good health, and happiness, grins spread across their faces.

"Akari!" Kathy ran up to her, smiling broadly, her blonde ponytail bouncing behind her, "Merry Christmas! What took you so long?"

"I don't know!" The brunette replied, hanging up her coat, "I was trying to rest up, but I couldn't help but come here!"

"Good timing, too!" The waitress grinned, "See, we have a bit of an issue in the kitchen. You can cook, right?"

"Well, I wouldn't go that far-"

"Great, great. We need some extra staff. You wouldn't mind helping Chase, would you?"

"Er, um, I gu-"

"Awesome! I knew you'd be there for me!" Shoving the petite girl while shouting 'Just a second, sir!' left and right, Kathy managed to rope Akari into doing something that she obviously did not care for, "Go in the kitchen, and help Chase cook! People are getting angry!"

"Now, I have said this thirty times, but I'll say it again: NO CUSTOMERS IN THE KITCHEN!" Chase called from his station at a pot of stew, "Get her out of here, Kathy!"

"Sorry Chase, you wanted an assistant, so here she is! Got to go!"

Kathy sped away, and the strawberry-blonde chef turned slowly, as if wishing this was all a dream, before opening his eyes and staring blankly at Akari, "You have got to be kidding me."

"No need to be so rude about it. I can cook fine, just tell me something that needs to be prepared."

"I'm not happy about this but…make the chocolate covered strawberries." He pointed at a boiling pot of melted goo and a plate full of fruit, "Go."

"You don't have to treat me like I'm stupid." She replied grudgingly, rolling up her sleeves, "Are you too good to make these yourself?"

"Just make them. And try not to screw up."

"Whatever, whatever. No need to act all high and mighty."

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" He deadpanned, focused on chopping some onions. Akari, in response, muttered something about who's the real idiot in this situation. Her anger actually kept her from being able to focus on the food she was making, and totally did not acknowledge the fact that the boiling chocolate's container was hanging dangerously close to the edge. With that in mind, one fast movement from either of them would send said treat flying.

And that is exactly what happened.

Akari had slammed the counter with her fist when Chase critiqued her imperfect strawberries, the force of her palm slamming against the surface causing a mini-earthquake to occur, making the pot topple over and chocolate to go flying.

Chase, observing the mess, faced her and rolled his eyes, "You're cleaning that up. Idiot."

"I love you too, sweetie." She smiled sweetly and got back to work.

…

I'm tired. I'm going to sleep. Night-night. Oh, but before I go-oh, I just like to say please review, but I don't have any more room left for requests (nooooo D: Also, on that note, I noticed when reading over this that it is somewhat similar to the GrayxClaire drabble, but it's not exactly the same ~

I'm so happy its Friday. Just thought I'd let you know.


	8. Kai and Mary: Trashy Novels

Oh, lord. Re-reading the last few chapters makes me feel stupid…ah, well -_- Ok, well, I got a request to write some KaixMary from NinjasRockYourFace, so here it is! (I hope it's better than the last two I wrote)! I kind of wrote this in a different style. Just trying something new ~ AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS EVERYONE! 

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon

…

She was timid – quiet – petite with pale skin. She was a librarian, preferring to stay indoors than go outside. And Winter was her favorite season.

He was friendly – kind and likeable – tall, broad-shoulder, with tanned skin and a bright smile. He was a traveling man; bound to the outdoors. Summer was his favorite season. Actually, Summer was the only season that you could see him within that small town.

It is quite ironic that, of all seasons, of all times, she saw him that year, on Christmas Eve.

That's what happened, though.

The black-haired girl had begun to shut down the library that night. Most of the books that had been carelessly strewn around were back in their rightful places, all for one small stack.

She read the titles of each of the books – all slightly risqué romance novels, presumably left by Popuri. Now, normally, Mary would have organized them properly like a good librarian, but that night, her interest had been piqued. She couldn't resist it, she didn't care how trashy they were, she just had to read them.

Settling into a not-so-comfortable chair, Mary opened up the first novel and read. Now, Mary, being the writer and reader that she was, could not put them down, finding them quite…er…_intriguing._ But, thank goddess, there was no one around to catch her avidly turning the pages. That would have been downright embarrassing.

Well, Mary wasn't one for luck, and the Goddess must have been distracted or something that night, because Kai just so happened to walk in when said book was describing something that was causing the poor girl to giggle and blush at the same time.

Now, when Mary looked up at who exactly had swung open the door, two thoughts crossed her mind:

One: What the heck is Kai doing in Mineral Town in the Winter?

And two: I've got to hide these novels _fast!_

As stated before, Mary was timid. Her cheeks were so red that tomatoes looked like they were pink in comparison, her stammering was so bad that broken records sounded like symphonies, and that all left Kai so confused that he walked outside and then walked back in to make sure this wasn't some bizarre illusion.

Sadly, it wasn't.

Mary scrambled, shoving books into random shelves and then fixing her dress and trying to calm down before he returned.

She considered how the Goddess must seriously hate her or decided that she had some bad karma. Why did Kai have to walk in – her mini-meltdown wouldn't have been nearly as bad if, say, Elli or Ann, or heck, even Cliff, had seen her. But no, it had to be the highly-attractive male that only came for thirty days a year, who also happened to be, after Gray's marriage to Claire, Mary's new object of affection. Not like she made it obvious to anyone. She barely accepted that fact herself. Her love was simply there – founded by glances as he passed by the window or small meals at his restaurant, a slight happiness in her eyes whenever his name was mentioned or possibly dropping off Cliff's book when he was around – but never acknowledged or left out in the open_._ It was a crush, no more, only someone to think about after her previous love had become forbidden.

"Mary…I don't know you that well, so I shouldn't judge, but…what were you doing?" Kai questioned once he had entered again, satisfied with what he saw.

"I…er…w-was c-c-cl-cleaning up?"

"Uh…ok then."

"B-but, what are you doing here? I-it's W-winter and all, and...you're covered in snow…"

"Oh…well, I was supposed to spend Christmas with Popuri, but obviously Rick didn't want me there, and Popuri was obsessing over something, and all in all I just didn't fit in. I guess Christmas for them is a kind of family thing, and…I'm just not family." He sighed, a mournful look adorning his face.

"So, y-you left and…came here…i-in t-th-th-the s-s-sn-snow?" Mary couldn't control her stuttering as she attempted to take his coat and hang it up.

"Yea, well," He shrugged, "I knew you'd be here, and I needed to go someplace."

"Oh…ok."

"This isn't a bother right?"

"N-no, not at all…" She trailed off, trying to avoid eye contact so she could speak normally.

"'K, good. So, what books were you reading? And why did you not want me to see them?" As he sat down and asked that question, all the color drained from Mary's face.

"Uh, well, um…i-i-it's n-not like t-that, b-but-"

"Don't worry, I don't care if you were reading some of Popuri's trashy romance novels." He turned to her, grinning widely, "I read them myself as well. They're quite entertaining, right?" The bandana-clad man winked.

"Yes, I've noticed that they are interesting to read."

"What's you favorite part?"

And at that moment, in that time, it really didn't matter that Kai was with Popuri and Mary hadn't quite gotten over Gray, for the little bit of a spark that was between them exploded into a fire, and if only for that night, they could pretend that they were friends, maybe even lovers, and converse like they knew each other.

And even though Mary knew that after that night she would go back to sneaking looks at him when no one was looking and mourning the loss of Gray, she couldn't help but feel like she had fallen in love for the first time.

Now, that's something she felt like she had read in one of those trashy romance novels.

…

Where was I going with this? I hope it came out well, I sort of didn't know what to write…I hope you liked this, NinjasRockYourFace. Please review!


	9. Toby and Akari: Insane

I got several requests for a TobyxAkari oneshot, so here it is!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon

…

It was cold out; I mean really, really, really cold. The kind of cold that you either had to be totally insane or desperately hungry in order to go outside.

Sadly, the new farmer Akari fell into the 'desperately hungry' category. Well, it was more like she was 'desperately broke', but either way, it all ended up in her being so close to starvation that she had to go outside and fish for dinner.

Now, Akari had absolutely no idea how to fish. Ok, she got the gist of it: throw a fishing pole into the water, wait for a bite, pull out of water, and repeat until you have enough fish to eat and a few extras to sell that will give you the proper amount of money to go buy some 'cocktails' at the bar. But, Akari thought that there had to be something that she was missing when it came to fishing.

And there was.

Patience.

After about ten minutes of sitting next to an almost-frozen pond, she gave up.

"What the hell? Freaking fish, bite!" The brunette screamed, which caused most of the fish that were there to swim away.

All…

…But one.

One poor little fish just sat there, tail flapping, spaced out, not expecting an extremely angry farmer to jump into the water shouting, "You are mine, FISHIE!"

Alas, that was what happened. Akari splashed around, creating such a ruckus that most of the villagers awoke from their sweet dreams of waffles, decided that it must've been that crazy farmer, and went back to sleep.

So, Akari finally caught said fish, and was happy for a good minute. Until, that is, she noticed that the water was colder than the air and it felt like there was something biting her toe.

Also, she suddenly remembered that she couldn't swim.

There she was, flailing about, shrieking loud enough to be heard in Mineral Town, and only one person stepped up to help her.

Ok, he literally didn't step up. He simply extended his fishing pole far enough that she could grab on, and then – literally, may I add once more – reeled her in. Then, the mystery savior was revealed to be none other than local relaxed-guy and fisherman Toby.

You could say that it was love at basically-first sight for Akari. And it was. For her. When he smiled at her and handed her a jacket before leading her to his house and cooking her up a fish soup ('It's better than it sounds!'), her heart just melted.

Though, as she was contemplating her newfound love, she couldn't help but consider one thing:

If he was outside in that cold…does that make him desperately hungry or insane?

…

I hope you liked this! Sorry this was shorter than the others…but…I dunno. I'm tired again, and…yea. Tomorrow's my friends' b-day, so I promised to write her an EvexRay oneshot, and then I got a request to write that…so…yea, tomorrow's pairing is EvexRay! Just telling ya'll! 

Also – please review!


	10. Eve and Ray: Hungry

Today is (one of) my best friend's b-day, and her favorite HM pairing is EvexRay so this is dedicated to her. Also, this is dedicated to Starlight Amethyst, because she always reviews my fics and she suggested this pairing, so…yea! And I thought I was going to write a MarkxChelsea drabble today, but then I remembered it was my friends b-day (I had a brain blank and thought today was the 23rd…don't ask!), so I wrote this! Read on! And thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.

…

Ray was a fisherman. And a good one, at that – unlike some men, not to mention any names. He made a living out of selling fish, almost never coming across hard times.

Except in Winter.

Ponds froze over, lakes became blocks of ice, rivers barely moved – this was Winter for Ray, a barren landscape of broken dreams.

That also resulted in him becoming a broke, almost-homeless guy.

But, even if he was broke, he still needed to eat. And, on Christmas Eve, the smell of food wafted out from the bar he so commonly visited and drew him in.

That was it. He _needed_ to eat.

He ran to the building, burst through the doors, heading straight towards the counter, where Eve stood, semi-shocked.

"Hi Ray." She smiled as he doubled over the counter, panting but managing to retain his appetite.

"I need…food."

"Ok. What do you want?" She asked, attempting to hand him a menu, only to have it rejected.

Quickly, he pulled $5 out of his pocket, shoving it into her hands, "Whatever this can buy me."

Carefully, Eve counted the money, hunched over the crumpled up dollars and change, before lifting up her head to face him, a slightly worried expression across her flawless features, "A glass of water."

"A glass of water? That's all this can buy me?!" He shot up, saddened to no end, like a puppy that was just yelled at.

"Yea." She nodded, quietly chuckling at his exasperated expression, which was priceless.

"Oh, c'mon. It's the holiday season! Don't leave a poor fisherman out in the cold! Can't I have a meal on the house?"

She pointed at a sign that was plastered beside her, which read, 'I don't care if it is the holiday season. I'm sure you're a nice person, but, either way, NO FREE MEALS.'

Obviously, it was created courtesy of Duke.

The brunette sighed before beginning his journey to the door. Sure, it seems like a short distance – but, walking that far when you're hungry was considerably difficult. In Ray's world, it felt like climbing Mount Everest.

"Wait!" Eve cried, suddenly overcome with pity for the attractive fisherman, "That sign doesn't say that I can't buy you a meal."

"Really?" He turned slowly, staring at the waitress as if she was an angel, "You'd do that for me?"

"Sure." She shrugged, returning to the counter.

"It's a Christmas miracle! A meal! A meal!" But, before he finished the end of his cheer, Ray realized there must be a catch, "What do you want in exchange?"

"Nothing." She came out of the kitchen, holding a platter of delectable foods, "Just talk to me."

He threw his arms around her neck, laughing and crying as if she had just told him she had made a miracle occur in his life, "I love you Eve! You are awesome!" After he unlatched his arms from around her, he dug into the delicacies ravenously while explaining his life story to the blonde.

And she just listened. For her, it was one of the nicest things a person had ever done for her. They sat down and talked to her, like she was a person, and told her interesting tales.

She didn't care if he was just there because she bought him the food.

All she cared about was if he would come back tomorrow night.

…

There it is! Sorry if it's not that good/short…anyway, tomorrow's pairing is MarkxChelsea, and then AkarixGill (actually, it was originally going to be DanxAlex, but I got a lot of requests for AkarixGill so I needed to write it. Plus, I've always wanted to try and write that couple soo….) PLEASE REVIEW!


	11. Mark and Chelsea: Like, Love

Ok, this is another IoH pairing, so, again, sorry for any personality mess-ups. It's MarkxChelsea, by request, so please enjoy! I made this a parody of how Mark and Chelsea like every gift you give them!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.

…

Mark fingered the small box he held in his hands. He had no idea whether Chelsea would like it.

But, then again, she liked just about everything.

That's not the point, though, Mark told himself. It's not really of fact of if she likes it or not – because she obviously would, she hugged him when he gave her a piece of lumber– it's really a matter of whether she loves the gift or not. Like, _loves_ the gift. If her eyes sparkle and shine and she does that weird high-pitch squealing thing.

Not like that's ever happened, but he can't help but imagine that she would if he came up with the perfect present. Which he believed was contained within the box that he was carrying.

So, slowly, he walked to Chelsea's room in the inn. There she was, delicately cleaning a window, in order to see the snowfall clearly. At least, he thought that was the reason. Maybe she graciously accepted some window cleaner from someone and decided that she needed to use it.

"Chelsea!" He yelled, walking up to her so close that he was practically touching her smooth arm.

"Mark!" She smiled, turning and kissing him on the cheek, "Happy Holidays!"

"Yea! Since it is the holidays, I thought that I should get you a gift, and I couldn't wait to give it to you, so here it is!" He shoved the container into her hands, and couldn't bear to see her expression. He knew it would be delighted, but how delighted?

"Oh my Goddess!" She shrieked – a good sign – eyes filled with tears of happiness, "How did you know?" She yanked out the weed – grown so preciously on his farm, "I love it!"

"You're welcome!" He grinned – she loved it. Not like she wouldn't like the gift, as stated before, but she really seemed to like the gift this time.

Or was it possible that she loved it more because it was the holidays?

"I got you a gift too!" Chelsea lied, what she had purchased him wasn't prepared yet.

"You didn't need to."

"It's ok – I got you love!"

"I love it!"

"Yay!"

…

Er…that was random. That's what you get when I a,m able to go to Starbuck's after dinner and buy the sugar-iest, most caffeinated drink they sell, drink it all in one gulp, spend half my energy on an insane Guitar Hero marathon, eat four candy canes, and then sit down to write a drabble about a game I haven't played! Haha. I'm on a sugar high right now, ignore me. Sorry this was so short, I'm actually working on a one-shot to release on Christmas day (unrelated to this fic). Either way, tomorrow's the last drabble…and it's AkarixGill!


	12. Gill and Akari: Unison

Yay! This is *sniff* THE LAST DRABBLE! Aww…well, it's GillxAkari, with some minor (and I mean minor) LukexKathy. All I can say is, I hope y'all like it! But I have a warning: this chapter is kind of clichéd…not like the others weren't, but this one is too… 

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.

…

"Gill-y! I need you!" Akari called with a sing-song voice. She was stationed next to a Christmas tree, the main centerpiece in a home that glowed with seasonal cheer.

"Akari!" The mayor's son popped up next to his girlfriend, "What did we say about calling me that?"

"You said that I could make that your nickname as long as I don't mention it in public. There isn't anybody else here, so I thought it would be cool." She turned to face Gill, her 'puppy dog eyes' ready to weaken the man she loved.

"Uh…I guess it's ok." He mumbled, desperately trying to avoid eye contact by looking down at his shoes and fixing the sleeve on his sweater, "Just don't say it…when anybody's _listening._"

"That's my Gill-y!" She yelped, piquing up onto her tip-toes in order to kiss him – but just barely. She really didn't need much extra height, for he was only a few centimeters taller than her.

The official dude blushed a deep crimson at the contact, before stuttering out "I need to go check on the cookies…" and quickly escaping to the kitchen.

On the other hand, Akari simply grinned and returned to her decorating. A few of their friends – ok, scratch that, practically everybody they knew – were coming over soon, and she needed to finish up and make sure the house was ready for the party. Gill was in charge of food, after the 'fish incident' ruined more than a wall, courtesy of Akari.

As the star was placed, a knock rang through the house, which the brunette promptly answered.

"Akari!" Luke called, high-fiving the farmer, while Kathy, who was holding his hand, smiled brightly at her friend. After the two had entered, everyone else filed in – Anissa, Candace, Julius, Selena, Renee, Toby, Bo, Luna, heck, even Jin came. Nobody was going to miss this.

The blonde pulled Akari over, "So, are you going to do it?"

"What are you talking about?" Akari hissed in response.

"You know." Kathy replied, "Getting down on one knee, pulling out a soft velvet box…"

"I don't know. I mean, I have the ring and all, but shouldn't the guy propose?"

"It's the 21st century, Akari, you can do this! Gill is a little snobby and acts like he's brave, but trust me – if you don't propose to him now, you're not going to get married for a few more years."

"Fine." The waitress smirked at the slightly reluctant response, "But when should I?"

"I say that when you're giving the toast would be the best."

"You think?"

"I'm positive. Now, go girl, you have some guests to greet! Luke and I will be watching!" Kathy pushed Akari off towards the partygoers, winking, before heading over to her boyfriend.

Akari, meanwhile, cursed at her, angry that she was about to go propose to her long-time boyfriend. What if he rejected her? That would be downright embarrassing.

Gill was over on the opposite side of the house, mildly talking with Luke. Well, it was more like a one-sided conversation between Luke and his imaginary advice-giving self, but, alas, Gill had been sucked in.

"So, dude, you just have to go and say, 'Akari, marry me!' Scream it! Tell the world! Let everyone know that you love her! And don't do that weird Gill-y thing where you get all embarrassed and chicken out."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. And since when did you call me Gill-y too?" He retorted, his face slightly flushed.

"See? You're doing it now. Oh, and the Gill-y nickname? I heard Akari call you that once and I thought it was funny so…you get it! But man, if you have the ring, give it to her and let her wear it! Now, I have to go talk to a certain someone. Don't forget though! At the toast! Ask her at the toast!" With that, the carpenter apprentice left to go 'talk' to Kathy, ignoring Gill's protests of "Why haven't _you_ proposed to Kathy then?"

After another twenty minutes of urges to propose, the two gathered in front of the Christmas tree, each one being nervous beyond belief. Akari quietly tapped a glass, gathering all of no one's attention, except for Kathy and Anissa, who coughed extremely loudly, making everyone else fall silent.

"Ok then!" Akari said, "I just want to thank you all for coming here! You guys are amazing and I am so happy to have friends like you to share the holidays with…but, before I go one, there's something I want to ask."

"Actually, there is something that I wish to ask too." Gill replied.

"Err…ok. Who should go first?"

The females shrieked 'Akari!'

The males screamed 'Gill!'

"Seems like an even split."

"Ok. How about we both say it at the same time and decide whoever's question is more important?"

"That sound good."

"Ok then!" Luke yelled from the crowd, "On three! One…"

"Two!" A few more people joined in.

"Three!" Everyone was shouting now, all eagerly awaiting the reactions from the two.

"Would you marry me?" They both asked in unison, and the 'getting down on their knees at the same time' caused a bizarre collision.

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Happy Holidays to our new favorite couple!" Kathy and Luke replied.

…

Heh. Cheesy, I know. But I hope you all liked it! 

So, here it goes: Happy Holidays everyone, no matter what you celebrate. I hope you all have a great new year, and want to thank anyone who reviewed/read/heck, even just looked at this when they were scrolling through fics. You guys are all awesome!

Please review! Tell me anything – what you're favorite ficlet was, which couple you liked the most, anything! Just give me some feedback!

And, if any of you want to continue one of these, go ahead!


End file.
